Kenya Power to Pay You For Every Blackout

Paying consumers and businesses that incur financial loss due to power blackouts will receive compensation from the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) if proposed regulations by the energy regulator are passed into law.

Published on Tuesday, the draft electricity supply regulations by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) looks to compel the monopoly to compensate consumers for financial losses, equipment damage, physical injuries, and death due to power outages.

In Kenya, there are frequent blackouts due to supply shortfalls and aging infrastructure that has even forced most businesses and wealthy customers to have standby generators and even move to solar energy.

At the moment, Kenya Power only offers compensation for injuries and damaged kits but does not compensate domestic and business customers for financial losses.

“Objective of the new plan is to prescribe penalties to be imposed for defaults in supplying electrical energy to any consumer and circumstances under which the licensee shall be exempted from such penalties,” states EPRA.

“On the consumers’ side, the new regulations spell out instances when the power supply to a consumer may be discontinued. The licensees will also be required to furnish EPRA with data and reporting requirements.” The regulations state that where the licensee fails to address a complaint to their satisfaction, the complainant may lodge a dispute with EPRA.

However, a delay in reporting accidents within 48 hours will be penalized Sh10,000 daily for the first 10 days that the incident wasn’t submitted.

Kenya power also risks between Sh5,000 to Sh2,000 in fines per month for delay in the connection of service for paid-up consumers and Sh10,000 per interruption for failure to notify consumers for planned interruption 48 hours before notice.

The draft is meant to assist in enhancing the reliability, quality of supply, and quantity of service in the electric power sub-sector.